What does Christmas in Athens normally feel like? To spark some festive nostalgia this much altered Yuletide, this interview speaks with creative Athenians and shares their most cherished memories of the season.

 

It’s hard to get into the spirit of Christmas this year when everything feels so different and so many of us will be facing the “season to be jolly” separated from our loved ones (not to mention all our usual festive fun). To keep alive the flame of a more normal Athens Christmas – and give us all hope of brighter Yuletides to come - This is Athens spoke with some colourful Athenians to share those seasonal milestones they are missing the most this challenging year – as well as all those beloved hangouts that they can’t wait to get back to in easier Christmases to come.

 

 

It’s not Christmas in Athens until I’ve…


Gone for a cocktail at: Noel Bar. A cosy concept bar on Kolokotroni Street where it's Christmas all year. The music is jazzy and the permanent holiday decor is a tad over-the-top. Just how you want it for Christmas.


Had a festive meal at: GB Roof Garden, with a quick stop by the Christmas tree at the entrance to enjoy the festive piano music. For my family, it's the place to mark the beginning of the holidays. As the season comes to an end, I like to visit a Mikrolimano fish restaurant for a glimpse of the winter sea.


Shopped for gifts at: Living Green in Kifissia. This little gem stocks very original eco gifts. Christmas can be so wasteful and this is the place to go to buy a gift for someone to plant in their garden or a toy that's made from recycled or biodegradable materials.


Enjoyed a performance at: Onassis Stegi. They put on such original and innovative work - you’re guaranteed to leave with lots to think and talk about over the holidays.


Soaked up the atmosphere of: Stunning Stavros Niarchos Park, where there's always something wondrous happening. 


Gone for a walk around: The centre of Athens -starting from Syntagma Square to Monastiraki - to admire the lights and music. There's nothing more “Christmas” than a late afternoon walk in the cold December air, with a Christmas Stars tea from Tea Route in my hands.


Listened to: Athens Big Band (a popular swing band) in an open-air Christmas event in downtown Athens. You can't beat the joy of stumbling across fantastic live music as you're walking down the street.

It's not Christmas in Athens until I've ...


Gone for a cocktail at: One of the groovy bars in the neighbourhood of Psirri. It gets very Christmassy there and always has a fantastic vibe, especially in December.


Had a festive meal at: Every year, I bake melomakarona (traditional Greek Christmas biscuits) at my house made with pure ingredients and spices that I buy from the wonderful food shops of Evripidou Street.


Soaked up the atmosphere of: The decorated city centre of Athens, especially the classic Christmas feel of Voukourestiou Street in Kolonaki.


Gone for a walk around: My favourite festive walk has to be down Dionysiou Areopagitou to see the seasonal lights and along the ancient alleys of Plaka with the lit-up Parthenon glowing above, adding to the magic of it all.


Listened to: The Christmas carols that resound from the children of Athens in every neighbourhood of the city as they do the rounds singing the kalanta (Greek Christmas jingles)


What I love most about Christmas: Baking Christmas cakes to give as presents and share with my friends in Athens.

It’s not Christmas in Athens until I’ve…


Gone for a cocktail at: Athénée Athens (formerly Zonars). Since it opened right in the centre of town in the 1930s, this elegant icon has hosted everyone from Melina Mercouri and Sophia Loren to Anthony Quinn and can always be counted on when you’re in the mood for some serious retro glamour.


Had a festive meal at: Brunch or lunch at Brunello restaurant in Kolonaki is another Christmas classic. It has a cool crowd, an amazing food and wine list and such a great atmosphere & music, especially over the party season.


Shopped for gifts at: Cartier and Hermès on Voukourestiou Street in Kolonaki. I love going to this stylish street and visiting all the high-end fashion boutiques and going a little “extra” on Christmas gifts! Only the best for my loved ones.


Enjoyed a performance or concert at: Pallas Theatre, just around the corner from Athénée. It’s such a grand Athenian landmark and always has uplifting productions in the lead up to Christmas.


Soaked up the atmosphere of: Hotel Grande Bretagne at one of their famous high tea sittings in the Winter Garden City Lounge. You can’t beat it for luxury festive ambiance and their tree is always the best dressed in town!


Listened to: Classical music on Christmas morning is the best way to start this special day.


What I love most about Christmas: Being with family and loved ones, opening our gifts and spending quality time together! Those moments are so precious and irreplaceable.

For more great experiences from Athenians about Christmas in Athens visit: thisisathens.org
Photo by: Nikos Karanikolas

Faithful, despite the unprecedented circumstances, to its annual, long-standing date with the public, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center welcomes the Christmas season with a variety of shows that will be transmitted online through live streaming! 

Christmas Tales at the Lighthouse: Sherlock Holmes and the thief of Christmas
When: December 23rd - January 5th

Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous hero invites us to follow him into the magical world of Christmas-time London. Amidst the joyful buzz of the city, where children sing carols and everyone exchanges gifts, Sherlock Holmes has only one thing on his mind: the case of the thief of Christmas. He looks for the blue sapphire, chases after the mysterious turkey and, under every snow-capped roof, finds clues that will bring him even closer… not just to the answer to the mystery, but to the meaning of Christmas.

New Year's Eve at SNFCC
When: December 30th at 22:30 

The evening's festivities will begin at 22:30 with a special artistic program in association with the Greek National Opera. Let's all welcome 2021 together, even if we're apart, with wonderful images and sounds that will reach into every home, in every corner of Greece. 

Listen to the sound of our times and immerse yourself inside a unique outlook by tuning in to an international radio station that smashes through borders to bring you incredible names from the greek and international DJs, hip hop, electronic, and world music scenes 24/7.

MOVEMENT RADIO is a cultural platform that focuses on new music production, but also on its historic past, jointly sharing stories that have not yet been told, speaking through sounds and ideas, tracing current political and critical thought, and crossing an imaginary archipelago for the bolstering of dialog that goes beyond borders and dates. It is a culturally bonding substance set between peoples, communities, and artistic creation. This new radio station will act as a transmitter, set to record, broadcast and unite past, present and future from its base in Athens!.

 

Balthasar Neumann Choir & Ensemble, Bach Mass in B Minor
When: December 20th at 12:00

Johann Sebastian Bach’s B minor Mass revolves around subjects that penetrate to the innermost depths of the soul: solitude and despair, joy and rapture. Music that gets under one’s skin. With Bach’s last great vocal work, which goes well beyond the scope of church liturgy, Thomas Hengelbrock and his Balthasar Neumann ensembles embark on a journey to the existential questions of life.

Traveling around the World at Christmas
When: December 26th at 18.00

Escort the entire family on a jolly musical jaunt, listening to Christmas melodies from all over the world and introducing the musical traditions and rhythms of these different lands.

New Year’s Opera Gala
When: December 30th at 20.30

Music-lovers’ enthusiastic response to the opera galas we have staged in recent years to celebrate the upcoming New Year has made them an integral part of Athens’ festive season. Under the baton of the talented Kornilios Michailidis, distinguished opera singers Christina Poulitsi, Tasis Hristogiannopoulos and Hristoforos Staboglis demonstrate their exceptional vocal talents in popular arias and duets from the magic world of Italian opera


Photo credit: Alexandra Trianti.

I remember the day before the second quarantine started. It was Sunday and my 8-year-old daughter kept on repeating "#nightmare, #nightmare" – apparently she had heard it in a girl series on TV. She had no clue what “#” meant but she knew pretty well the word “nightmare.” That’s how she felt when we told her she would have to attend online classes again as schools were closed.

A week later she commented: "Anyway mom online schooling has its good part too." "What do you mean?" I asked full of surprise. "At school, we have to show hands when the teacher asks a question and this can be tiring at times. Now if I want to show my hand I just need to press a button.” Great progress, I thought to myself. "I'm so happy you can see there are positives as well," I told her. It was not long before her second positive comment: "You know something, mom? Now you do not need to apply lice spray to my hair before I go to school. I was freezing when you’d spray me in the morning." Then another day she added: "Dad works from home now so we see more of him. Of course, I'm not saying that I like being in this quarantine, not at all, but at least there are some positives."

When you hear your daughter talk like this you realize how much we have that we do not actually see or do not give them the attention they deserve. But also how much more there is to discover. An otherwise "ordinary" walk in the neighborhood park that brings unexpected meetings with friends that you haven’t seen for a long time. An impromptu last-minute picnic just because the day was sunny. One more hug because you took a quick break from online. Ten more valuable minutes to sleep in the morning as you don’t have to drive to work. Less traffic, less honking, less "come on, get ready, let’s go…".

In this second quarantine, both my family and I are all consciously much more flexible. This doesn’t mean we are not worried about COVID-19 and our safety. We are very cautious and take all necessary measures. But what I notice is that we’re calmer and it is easier for us to take things as they come. I admit I took my lesson but I also admit I do not forget to repeat it every day!

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

“Light to those who truly bring light into our lives” is the motto of this year’s Athenian Christmas tree lighting ceremony which took place amidst the lockdown and without the usual crowds due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Municipality of Athens choose a different way to share the lighting of the tree in Syntagma Square with everyone this year. A short film tells an Athenian Christmas story about the real heroes of the municipality, coming to light what most of us haven’t had the opportunity to see this year - Syntagma Square all bright and beautiful!

 

The protagonist is Dionysis Nikolaou, an electrician engineer and the oldest employee of the municipality. A born and bred Athenian, just like his grandfather was, he lives in the neighborhood of Sepolia with his wife and son. After he completed his education, he began working in the electricity department of the municipality and learned the secrets of every corner of the city. Over the years he’s learned not to throw away anything that is made; he’s worked in just about all positions - on the road for repairs, in the warehouse for recording and receiving orders, making sure that nothing is missing when needed. Today he chooses to work mainly at night, so that his younger colleagues can have the ease of working the morning shift.

 

The one thing that he hasn’t ever changed is the lighting of the city at Christmas time, which culminates with the lighting of the tree in Syntagma. This little film captures the route of bringing this light so that we can all share in the special moment of lighting up the streets of Athens!

 

The Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis, emphasized this message on the occasion of the lighting of the Christmas tree by saying, "This year, the Municipality of Athens addresses the great thanks it owes to its people…The invisible heroes, who tirelessly remain on the front line, not only at Christmas but every day, in order to break the darkness of this unprecedented time for the inhabitants of this city. This year the lights are on those who really give light to our lives. Merry Christmas!”

The Hellenic American Union and the Museum of Greek Children’s Art have joined forces to hold two online creative workshops for primary school children this weekend. During the workshops, young children are invited to make their own Christmas tree decorations and cards for friends and family.

 

The first workshop is called "I’m home, but here’s my ornament...” and will take place on Saturday, December 19, at noon, and the second one is called "I’m home, but here’s my card..." and will be held on Sunday, December 20, also at noon.

The workshops will be led by Athanasia Sklirou, artist and curator at the Museum of Greek Children's Art.
To read this article in full, please visit: amna.gr

Wine writers abhor doing lists of “best” wines because this goes against the mystique we have so patiently built around the “nectar of the gods”. And because lists are so reductive. Exploring wine is the essence of enjoying wine, say hard-core wine lovers. Nevertheless, this wine writer, who belongs to the “drink first, discuss later” school of wine thought has no objection to proposing a list of six wines that are exciting, quaffable and perfect examples of Greece’s wine renaissance. 

 

These suggestions are based on native Greek grape varietals. They are relatively easy to find and fairly representative of different wine styles and colours. If unavailable, a good sommelier in a restaurant or wine shop should be able to suggest close alternatives.

 

Santorini wines have attained the industry’s holy grail: establishing a taste that is not only unique but ascribable to the wine’s provenance―in this case, the volcanic soils of this strange Cycladic island. Thanks to their pronounced mineral taste, Santorini wines are the darlings of sommeliers and wine buffs the world over and have become the de facto wine ambassadors of Greece. Winemaker Paris Sigalas is an expert at making the Assyrtiko grape shine (and sing). Sigalas wines are always well-made, dependable and gracious. His textbook Santorini Assyrtiko is steely-dry yet fruity, mouth-filling and racy, a display of power without aggression. A white wine that generates awe. 

 

Price: €23

Pairings: Pair an Assyrtko wine from Santorini with fish and seafood and you cannot go wrong.

 

Retsina is a delicate subject in the world of Greek wine because so many people outside Greece identify local wines with pine-flavoured plonk, to the detriment of all the other good wines now being made. There aren’t that many retsinas around and certainly not many exciting ones. Stelios Kechris is the retsina specialist and his Tear of the Pine, made from the Assyrtiko grape in northern Greece, is an astonishing example of a modern retsina that will blow you away. The Assyrtiko comes through nicely, blending in a weird way with the pine resin to create something very original. This dry white wine ages exceptionally well.

 

Pairings: Traditional Greek meze such as fried courgettes, grilled octopus and taramosalata will thank you for pairing them with such a great comrade in arms. Enjoy—and let the wine snobs turn blue.  

Gris de Nuit, Ktima Tselepos
This outstanding rosé wine is the new creation of Yiannis Tselepos, owner of a 12-acre estate in Arcadia, in the heart of the Peloponnese. This is where the indigenous Moschofilero grape flourishes, in the cold valley of Mantinia, which produces lively white wines. However, Moschofilero is a red grape variety whose slightly tainted rosé wines can also be called “gray”, following a night’s maceration of skins with juice. Intensely aromatic, bone-dry yet supple and creamy, this is an exemplary dry rosé in an Alsace-styled bottle for extra character. 

 

Pairings: This wine is fantastic with food, especially fish and seafood, Asian cuisine, and fine hors d’oeuvres. Also great as an aperitif with no food at all.    

For more great wines, and tips on what to look for when buying Greek wine, visit: thisisathens.org
Photo by: Amalia Kovaiou

The year 2020 will be remembered as the year that has altered everybody’s lifestyle.

Staying at home to keep our families and ourselves safe, is a perfect opportunity to engage with our loved ones and create memories and new traditions.

This year let's appreciate more than just the warmth of our homes - let Cocooning's Christmas Experience Delivery Menu enchant you by making your holiday table a unique gastronomic experience!

Getting the cameras rolling in the Greek capital, however, has not always been easy. Red tape and a shortage of competitive incentives have often driven filmmakers elsewhere. But now the stage has been set to transform Athens into a “Film Friendly City” with the launch of an Athens Film Office and boosted cash rebates from the Greek Government. In the best practice of major European cities, the new Athens Film Office will be a one-stop-shop for receiving and managing film and television requests, facilitating filming requirements, and acting as a go-between to clear bureaucratic obstacles for overseas productions.

According to the Athens Film Office website, makers of films, television episodes, or advertisements will soon have over 70+ Athenian locations to choose from. Current options span from landmark squares like Syntagma and Omonia and Athens’ emblematic National Garden, to the Maria Callas Municipal Theatre with its magisterial lobby, and contemporary urban hub, Technopolis, in Gazi.

The new approach is already paying off. More than 10 international audiovisual works (movies, TV series, and advertising) will take place this year despite the pandemic and two-month lockdown; with work already underway on several. 

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis Says: "The Municipality of Athens, through the Athens Film Office, aspires to play a leading role in the effort to better utilize the development potential of the city, so that in the near future, Athens becomes a key pole of attraction for new investments - and hosts more and more international film productions.”

 

In the city’s bid to lure more big movie makers to the city, the Athens Film Office - which comes under the "umbrella" of the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (EATA) - will also work closely with the This is Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau to ensure that international film executives have access to premium facilities and services throughout their stay.